A Research on the Impacts of Cultural Tourism: The Case of Tirilye
The tourism industry has a multidimensional impact on destinations. The economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of tourism are interrelated. Therefore, in this study, local people's perceptions about the economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of tourism are investigated. The study area is Tirilye, a neighborhood in the Mudanya district of Bursa province. Tirilye, an ancient Greek settlement, is a developed destination in terms of cultural tourism. Local people are stakeholders directly affected by tourism. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the perceptions of local people about the impacts of cultural tourism. A mixed method design was used in the study. A survey was conducted with 93 local people residing in Tirilye using face-toface interviews. In addition, 10 people were interviewed. In this study, the findings on the impact of tourism in Tirilye are discussed by comparing them with the findings obtained from theoretical and empirical research. The main results obtained from the study are evaluated under three headings: economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of tourism. Local people have a high perception of positive economic impacts. According to the findings, cultural tourism provides income to local businesses, increases income levels and diversifies the economy in Tirilye. Local people are more neutral regarding sociocultural and environmental impacts. Based on the research findings, suggestions have been made for tourism development and planning in Tirilye.
Kültürel Turizmin Etkilerine İlişkin Bir Araştırma: Tirilye Örneği
Turizm endüstrisinin destinasyonlar üzerinde çok boyutlu etkileri vardır. Turizmin ekonomik, sosyo-kültürel ve çevresel etkileri birbiri ile karşılıklı ilişki içindedir. Bu nedenle bu çalışmada turizmin ekonomik, sosyo-kültürel ve çevresel etkileri konusunda yerel halkın algıları araştırılmıştır. Çalışma alanı Bursa ilinin Mudanya ilçesine bağlı bir mahalle olan Tirilye’dir. Eski bir Rum yerleşimi olan Tirilye, kültürel turizm bakımından gelişmiş bir destinasyondur. Yerel halk turizmden doğrudan etkilenen paydaş olduğundan çalışma kapsamında, yerel halkın kültürel turizmin etkileri konusundaki algılarının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada karma yöntem deseni kullanılmıştır. Yüz yüze görüşme tekniği ile Tirilye’de ikamet eden yerel halktan 93 kişiye anket uygulanmıştır. Ayrıca toplam 10 kişiye mülakat uygulanmıştır. Araştırmada, turizmin Tirilye’de yol açtığı etkiler konusundaki bulgular teorik ve görgül araştırma sonuçlarından elde edilen bulgular ile karşılaştırılarak tartışılmıştır. Çalışmadan elde edilen başlıca sonuçlar, turizmin ekonomik, sosyo-kültürel ve çevresel etkileri olmak üzere üç başlık üzerinden değerlendirilmiştir. Yerel halkın olumlu ekonomik etkiler konusunda algıları yüksektir. Elde edilen bulgulara göre Tirilye’de kültürel turizm; yerel işletmelere gelir sağlamaktadır, gelir seviyesini arttırmaktadır ve ekonomiyi çeşitlendirmektedir. Sosyo-kültürel ve çevresel etkiler konusunda ise yerel halk daha nötrdür. Araştırma bulguları dikkate alınarak Tirilye’de turizm gelişimi ve planlamasına yönelik önerilerde bulunulmuştur
The tourism industry has a multidimensional impact on destinations. If the tourism industry is planned correctly, it will contribute greatly to the development of the local community. The economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of tourism are in mutual relationships with each other. Therefore, in this study, local people’s perceptions about the economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of tourism are investigated. The study area is Tirilye, a neighborhood in the Mudanya district of Bursa province. Tirilye, an ancient Greek settlement, is a developed destination in terms of cultural tourism. Local people are stakeholders directly affected by tourism, so this study aimed to determine the perceptions of local people about the impacts of cultural tourism. A mixed method design was used in the study. A survey was applied to 93 local people who resided in Tirilye using face-to-face interviews. Additionally, 10 interviews with local people were conducted. According to the findings, cultural tourism provides income to local businesses, increases income levels and diversifies the economy in Tirilye. In addition, women earn economic income from tourism by selling olives, olive oil, and other products. Regarding the negative economic impact, high inflation due to tourism was the highest-scoring expression in the surveys. However, qualitative interviews have emphasized the seasonal effect of tourism. Economic income from tourism decreases except during the peak season months, such as July and August. Mostly local tourists visit Tirilye. Perceptions of sociocultural impacts are low because there are not many cultural differences between visitors and locals. For example, according to the survey results, the perception averages regarding negative sociocultural effects are low, such as an increased crime rate and deterioration of family structure. Participants showed high agreement among the positive economic effects statements of tourism, such as meeting new people and cultural exchange. The same issue was also emphasized in the qualitative interviews. Another issue that stands out among the socio-cultural effects is the effect of tourism on the revival of local dishes. In Tirilye, which has a Cretan culinary culture, Cretan appetizers attract the most attention in fish restaurants and other restaurants. In the qualitative interviews, it was stated that tourism has not much impact on local handicrafts. It would be appropriate to conduct further studies on this issue. In fact, in cultural tourism destinations, products sold as souvenirs are generally related to the culture and identity of the region. In Tirilye, Cretan lace is a cultural element suitable for development as a tourist product. In addition, Tirilye is a settlement where olive cultivation has been conducted since the past. For this reason, the promotion of olive culture attracts more attention in tourism than the sale of olives and olive oil products in the region. For this purpose, a museum of olive oil history can be established in the area. Participants stated that tourism contributes to conservation and restoration activities. However, the qualitative interviews emphasized that Tirilye has many structures that have been neglected and are yet to be restored. In cultural tourism destinations, historical buildings are re-functionalized to ensure both protection and survival. For this reason, the restoration and re-functioning of buildings in Tirilye appropriate for developing tourism activities. Thus, tourists will be able to spend more time in re-functioning buildings, such as hotels and restaurants, etc. and also they will be experience this atmosphere. Local people’s perceptions of the environmental impact of cultural tourism are positive. Local people stated that cultural tourism has a positive impact on the preservation of heritage buildings. However, the findings of qualitative research have confirmed that there is sea and beach pollution, an increase in structures incompatible with the landscape, crowding, and garbage problems. For this reason, planning the environmental impacts in Tirilye, which are still in their infancy, is important.
